Six Pack Shortcuts

Mandarin Orange Almond Salad Smoothie & Quick Cardio Circuit

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I often have mandarin oranges and almonds in my salads, so I figured why not make a smoothie with those same ingredients.  For extra goodness, I added some chopped carrots as well as some oats and protein powder.  Looked gross, lol, but was more tasty and satisfying than I expected.  Today’s quick workout comes courtesy of Mike Chang (Six Pack Shortcuts).  It’s a pretty intense cardio circuit that you can do anywhere and is ideal after a cheat meal or cheat weekend.

This will be the last post of 2014.  Thanks to all of my followers and lurkers who have followed and read this blog.  It has been fun to share my recipes and fitness tips with anyone who cares to listen.  I hope you had a great 2014 and wish you a safe, happy, healthy and smoothie New Year.

Sincerely Yours,

The Smoothie Operator 🙂

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3 Mandarin Oranges

1 Cup Chopped Carrots

I Cup Organic Kale

1 Handful Raw Almonds

1/4 Cup Steel Cut Organic Oats

1 Scoop Soy-Free Vegetable Protein Powder

1 Cup Vanilla Almond Milk

FOOD KEY

– Mandarin Oranges: vitamin C, antioxidants, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and flavanoids

– Carrots: vitamins A & B6, folic acid and magnesium

– Kale: vitamins, A, B6 &C, potassium, copper, folic acid, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and zinc (MEGA-STACKED!!)

– Raw Almonds: magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, riboflavin, copper, niacin and zinc (STACKED!!)

– Oats: fiber and protein

10 Minute Fat Burning Circuit

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Killer Cardio & Core Workout

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All the crunches and leg raises in the world are pointless if you have layers of soft covering them up.  Diet is important, of course, but you can buy yourself a couple of cheat meals by getting good cardio workouts in.  I put the following workout together with that in mind.  We start with a killer cardio workout from Sean Vigue followed by great ab routine compliments of Ali Kamenova.  I wrap up the workout with nice chest an back routine from Mike Chang (Six Pack Shortcuts).  I really felt this workout in my total upper body and got a great sweat on during the cardio portion.

Sweat Your Ass Off Cardio Workout

10 Minute Ab Workout

Ripped Chest & Back Routine

Beach Muscle (Chest and Abs) Workout

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With as night and day as the weather has been, it’s easy to forget that summer is just around the corner.  That (hopefully) means plenty of sun and beach time.  This workout I threw together will help you get a little closer to where you’d like to be once the warm weather is finally here to stay (well for a couple months, anyway).  We start with a cardio warm up from our friends at Fitness Blender, and then blast the core with Mike Chang (Six Pack Shortcuts).

Quick Sweat Cardio Burst

Bodyweight 250 Rep Chest Workout

Don’t be ashamed to modify this workout (like I did) by doing different pushup variations or less reps.  3 sets each of 3 different kinds of pushups should do the job.  Mike Chang is a beast and not everyone can plow through this routine like he does.

Brutal Cardio Ab Routine

You should be totally spent now.  Go make a smoothie :).

 

30 Minute Morning Workout and Breakfast Smoothie

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Here’s a fast morning workout I put together with the help of some of YouTube’s finest Fitness Gurus.  First I got the heart racing and body warmed up with this great, quick (roughly 8 minutes) cardio blast from Fitness Blender:

Quick Sweat Cardio Burst

After you’re warmed up and little sweaty, hit the abs with this semi-brutal, 10 minute ab workout from Six Pack Shortcuts:

Abs & Core Workout

Last but not least, cool yourself down with a short (about 12 minutes), relaxing yoga practice from Sean Vigue:

Zen Yoga Routine

Now that you just put some work in, reward yourself with this delicious oatmeal smoothie.  I used the classic instant oatmeal flavor cinnamon & apple, and just made it a whole lot better.

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1 Apple

1/4 Cup Steel Cut Oats

1 Scoop Soy-Free Vegetable Protein

1 Handful Brazil nuts

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon Powder

1 Tablespoon Sunflower Seed Butter

1 Cup Vanilla Almond Milk

If you’re on the fence about any of the ingredients, you can always substitute with any protein (hemp, whey, etc.) nut (almonds, cashews, etc.) nut butter (almond or classic peanut butter) or liquid (regular milk, water, etc.).

Food Key

– Apples: potassium, vitamin C and pectin (helps control cholesterol and blood sugar)

– Oats: fiber and protein

– Brazil Nuts: magnesium, potassium and zinc

– Cinnamon: fiber, calcium, good for digestion

– Sunflower Seed Butter: vitamin E and iron

YogiLatiO…DO IT

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Yoga, Pilates and Cardio training all have great health benefits, so why not do them all?  You maybe asking “What about strength training?  Do you even lift, bro?”  Actually I do, but “YogiLiftAlotiO” doesn’t roll of the tongue as nicely.  Not everyone has the money or time to hit the gym or yoga studio everyday, plus the YogiLatiO fitness craze is, well, non-existent right now.  Enter YouTube.  In my quest for the perfect morning exercise routine, I decided to check out YouTube, and found a countless number of great trainers and videos.  My personal favorites include Sadie Nardini, Sean Vigue, FitnessBlender and Mike Chang (Six Pack Shortcuts).  Not only do they provide excellent routines that pretty much anyone can follow, they also offer great nutrition advice and fitness tips.  Since I’m awesome, I have provided the links to their channels below:

Sadie Nardini

Sean Vigue

Fitness Blender

Six Pack Shortcuts